The countdown to India’s T20I series against Zimbabwe has begun, and the squad announcement has brought some fresh faces into the spotlight. Wicketkeeper-batter Prabhsimran Singh and pacers Yash Thakur and Ashok Sharma have all earned their first-ever call-ups to the senior national team for the three-match series, which gets underway later this month.

The BCCI officially named the 15-member squad on Monday, and while it’s a moment of celebration for the newcomers, it’s also a chance for all-rounder Harsh Dubey to finally break into the T20 setup , having already featured in two ODIs for India.

Interestingly, the selection panel has decided to rest several big names who are currently busy with the England T20I series at home. Players like Sanju Samson, Ravi Bishnoi, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana have all been left out of the Zimbabwe-bound squad.

Samson’s exclusion, in particular, stands out. The 31-year-old was a vital cog in India’s T20 World Cup victory back in March, but his recent form has been worrying. He managed just 6 runs across three innings during the disappointing 2-0 series loss to Ireland and followed it up with another low score in the first game against England. That poor run eventually cost him his spot, with teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi replacing him in the second England T20I.

Speaking of Sooryavanshi, the youngster made history by becoming India’s youngest-ever international cricketer at just 15 years and 99 days and he’s held onto his place for the Zimbabwe tour.

Shreyas Iyer will continue to lead the side, despite a somewhat shaky start to his captaincy stint, with Tilak Varma serving as his deputy. Left-handed batter Rinku Singh is back in the mix after last featuring in the World Cup final against South Africa, while express pacer Mayank Yadav returns to international duty for the first time since late 2024.

All matches will be played at the Harare Sports Club from July 23 to 26. India will be hoping to replicate their success from the last tour in July 2024, where they clinched a dominant 4-1 series win.

India’s squad for Zimbabwe T20Is 2026:
Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Suryansh Shedge, Rinku Singh, Harsh Dubey, Varun Chakaravarthy, Prince Yadav, Yash Thakur, Ashok Sharma, Mayank Yadav, Prabhsimran Singh.